A Good Man
by emmera01
Summary: All Max Keenan has ever wanted for his daughter is a good man but now that he has come along will Temperance be too blind to see it? - Booth's Point of View
1. You Come Close

This fan fic carries on from a scene in 4x11 The Bone that Blew which I thought should have been a little bit longer. I considered making this a one shot but decided it would be ongoing. It will be rated M for future chapters. I hope you guys like it and subscribe.

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* * *

__Can I ask you a question?_

_Sure_

_You… Are you, ah… Are you sleeping with my daughter?_

_No_

_Why? Are you gay?_

_No_

_Is she not attractive enough?_

_Bones is beautiful._

_Is it because of me? Because I killed one man and we both know he deserved it?_

_Alright just cut it out, Max. Alright, I'll talk to her. Probably aint gunna get anywhere with her but, I'll talk to her._

_You're a good man and I want that for her. And now I gotta go blow up some soda for some kids._

* * *

As Max started to walk away with his bottle of cola to do god knows what with it I couldn't help but think about what he had said. _I want that for her_…

"Hey Max!" I yelled after before I really knew why or what I was going to say to him.

He turned to look at me from the top of the platform stairs, a knowing look on his face. I began to walk towards him, a man possessed one might say.

"You know… when you… you said," I stumbled through my words. Had my partner's father just said that he wanted me to be with his daughter? Surely I had misunderstood him. "You said that you wanted a good man for Bones, you were just talking generally weren't you?"

Max's knowing smile took on a smug air as he watched me squirm under his gaze. He was different to Temperance, he was better at human interaction and reading people. He was a con man; he had to be good. I knew at that very moment he could see my cheeks reddening as I thought about the possibility of being with Temperance in _various_ different ways right in front of her father, despite my conscious efforts to control my wayward thoughts. Max knew exactly what I was thinking.

Max stepped closer to me and leaned over the platform rail to watch Temperance who had her protective lab glasses on, leaning over the body of Cal Wilson, willing the skeleton to tell her its secrets. I joined him in watching Bones as I did all too often. She was beautifully oblivious to the fact that the two men who cared most about her were watching her every move with a quiet reverence.

"You know when her mother and I left her I was so worried that there wouldn't be anyone to look out for her. Russ was a good kid but he was still a kid and Tempe… well you know she isn't the easiest person to handle. Just think about how she would have been as a fifteen year old girl," I chuckled at Max's joke as he smiled affectionately.

"Now I know that my worst fears came true. Russ couldn't handle her and she ended up in the system thinking for years that no one cared about her. All I ever wanted, more than anything, was someone to look out for her."

"Don't let her here you say that," I piped up, knowing Bones well enough to be sure that a _I-can-look-after-myself_ lecture would ensue if she ever heard her father or anyone else say that.

Knowing his daughter as well as I did, Max laughed. He was loud enough to stir Temperance from her work below and she looked up at us. She looked confused that we had both been watching her but she smiled and waved anyway. Max and I simultaneously waved back at her and she went back to her bones.

"You know she is stronger than you think Max," I said to him to try and lift some of the guilt he felt. "She is the strongest person I've ever known."

"Yeah I know. She's just like her mother." Max's eyes glazed over as he thought about his wife.

"Well if Temperance took after her mom, she must have been one hell of a woman." I said, hoping to lift the mood.

Max smiled widely at my words but the joy didn't quite reach his eyes.

"You have no idea," he said softly.

Slowly he turned towards me and I managed to tear my eyes of Bones long enough to turn and face him.

"You know Booth, I was talking in general terms before when I said I wanted a good man for Temperance. But the thing is; they don't come much better than you. You care about her, anyone can see that. As a father I've always thought that no one would ever be good enough for Tempe but you come close, Booth… You come close."

With those final words that flattered me more than any compliment or commendation had in my life, Max clapped one hand on my shoulder and left.


	2. It's Hard Being A Father

Thanks to those who reviewed. I hope you like the next chapter...

* * *

Still in a daze, I watched Max's retreating back with his words echoing in my ears. I would be lying to myself I said that I had never thought of Temperance in that way. Had never wondered what it would have been like if I were able to get through her defences and have a normal but wonderful relationship with her. She was beautiful to be sure. The most beautiful woman I had ever known and I knew some beautiful women. There was Cam, Rebecca and Tessa just to name a few but Bones beat them all, hands down. As I watched her wistfully elbow deep in corpse with her game face on she still looked undeniably gorgeous in what could only be described as a fairly gross circumstance. I really had to snap out of this if I wanted to get any work done around her. Shaking my head and clearing my thoughts I made my way down the stairs and towards the platform; Temperance's stage. As I hit the entrance I swiped my Jeffersonian so the whole damn place wouldn't go into lockdown and snuck up behind Bones. She was so engrossed in her work she didn't even notice the security system beep behind her. Using all of my sniper skills I reached her without being detected but then again I think a Sherman tank could have rolled up behind her without her noticing.

"Finished yet?" I whispered in her ear, laughing as she jumped and spun around simultaneously.

What I hadn't counted on was that her face would be so close to mine when she spun around to face me. My lips were just inches from hers and I could tell that she was as aware of this fact as I was.

"I… I was just… I'm still cataloguing the damage sustained to the… the um…" I could barely believe my ears as they heard the one and only Dr Temperance Brennan stutter and stumble her way through a technical explanation.

I moved closer without conscious thought and found myself staring at Bones, my eyes and thoughts full of wanting, longing… lust.

"… um… thoracic and… um… lumbar…"

I shifted my body impossibly closer to her, pushing her against the cool steel table behind her.

"…vertebrae?" she finished her explanation in a small voice that sounded like a question; an inviting tone even?

I was standing so close to her now that I could feel the warmth of her breath against my face. Everyone assumed that Dr Temperance Brennan, with all her clinical analysis or horrible murdered bodies and lack of social etiquette, was a cold fish. A standoffish know-it-all who thought she was too good for everyone else. But I had known her for four years and we had experienced more in those four years than most people do in a lifetime. I know her better than I know myself. Underneath the armour she put on as a little girl and never had the courage to shed, was a warm, kind person who constantly underestimated her ability to love.

As I felt her lean into my chest I knew in that moment that no matter what she said on the contrary, Temperance Brennan could most definitely love. She just had to let herself. And as for me, that ship sailed long ago. I fell hard and fast for her right from the start.

My eyes were still locked on her wide cerulean orbs as we inched closer and closer. I was about to kiss Bones in the middle of the Jeffersonian and nothing could stop me…

"Dr Brennan!"

… Except that.

You know, Hodgins might be one of the more successful squints to mimic a human being but I'll be damned if he didn't have the worst timing in the world. His head was buried in a spreadsheet as he approached the platform. He had no idea what he had just interrupted.

"I had Angela run the data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration through her satellite imaging software and she was able to pinpoint an approximate location of the dumpsite where Cal Warren was burned. She narrowed it down to an area on the edge of Queen Anne's and Kent."

After finishing his barrage of information that I only vaguely understood, he looked up and saw Bones and me in a close and rather awkward proximity to each other. His eyebrows shot up and he threw me a questioning look. Bones quickly took a step away from me, banging into the examination table and sending an instrument flying. I flinched as the metal hit the platform floor with a loud crash.

"Did I interrupt something?" he asked accusingly.

"No," Bones said a little louder than necessary before clearing her throat, "Of course not."

"Okay," Hodgins replied smiling widely, stretching the second syllable out just to mock me.

I decided that it would probably be a good time to say something so my angry glare wouldn't give away my guilty conscience.

"Edge of Queen Anne's and Kent, got it." I said as walked past Hodgins, making a bee-line for the door. "You coming, Bones."

Still too stunned to really speak she followed immediately and wordlessly for the first and presumably the last time in her life. I smiled to myself; I must have had quite the effect on her. At that moment, my cocky belt buckle was a giant red billboard for my dominant emotion; even if the moment had been cut short by a vertically challenged and rather irritating bug and slime expert. I mean, who the hell in their right mind chooses to specialise in bugs and slime anyways?

As Temperance caught up to me my hand instinctively shot out to rest on her lower back as I steered her out and away from the prying entomologist.

The moment we had shared on the platform had been easily pushed out of mind as all of our moments over the last four years and there had been a few of them. I guess it just made us more practiced at it. Safe in the SUV and speeding away from the Jeffersonian at 60mp/h I remembered my promise to talk to Bones about firing Max. This should be fun.

"So…" I began lamely, "I heard you fired your dad."

"Yes," she replied firmly, "And before you try to convince me he did nothing wrong I would like to point out that he participated in a scientific experiment involving evidence from a murder case."

I sighed deeply. I should have known this wouldn't be easy.

"You know he didn't actually damage your evidence and I heard he even helped. I mean we're going to what is more than likely the dumpsite and we only know about it because of your dad."

"Booth, he's a criminal. He can't be anywhere near forensic evidence." She protested.

"I'm just saying…" I raised one hand up in surrender so she wouldn't get any more worked up. "It would be nice to have some more of that renowned Brennan brainpower around helping out, that's all."

Even she couldn't argue with me when I was complimenting her intelligence. Her advanced mind was easily the thing she was most proud of and lord knows she had reason to be a little vain about it. I had also come to know that she couldn't stay mad at me when I flashed her a smile and threw all of my charms behind it.

"Anyway," I said, "I understand Max's motivations. If I had been forced away from Parker for fifteen years in order to save his life and had an opportunity to be with him again I would do anything for that chance to get to know him. It's a father's love, Bones."

We travelled the rest of the journey in one of our comfortable silences. The few times I looked over I saw her forehead knitted in concentration as she mulled over the situation with her father.

* * *

"Okay we're here," I said as I rolled up and parked behind an FBI forensics van. As we both got out of the car. We walked towards the place where the most people were congregated, scouring the place for any trace of Cal Warren's murder scene.

"Okay, according to the calculations the bones must have started out from somewhere in this vicinity." Bones said firmly, her game face back on. I knew that if I had remarked about her change in demeanour she probably wouldn't get the reference so I let it slide.

She missed out on getting to know all those cultural things by not having parents close to her. If she had grown up longer with Max she would have known. I felt a pang of pity for her as I added it to the list of things she had missed out on growing up in the foster system. Of course, at the top of that list was simply learning how to love. If I could only find the chance, I planned to teach her all about love and the magic she was missing by pushing it away and passing it off as mere brain chemistry. I had vowed to teach Parker all of those things; how to love, how to treat a woman and how to recognise true beauty like what I saw in front of me. Between being on the run from terrible people who wanted to kill his family and trying to protect those he loved, Max had never quite gotten that chance.

"You know something, Bones. It's tough being a father." I said, somewhat surprising myself.

She looked at me, confused for a moment.

"Parker will be fine, peer groups and random environmental factors are far more important than family."

Of course she had thought I was talking about Parker.

"How is that a good thing?" I asked in reply.

Before she could reply one of the FBI forensics guys called out to us.

As we hurried over a patch of charred earth came into view. As we got closer I could see blackened bones scattered, as if they were garbage. Not the honourable soldier who they had once belonged to. It made me angry to see it. This man had served his country and when he had been too injured to carry on he took on a job protecting kids from the financial and personal rivals of their rich parents. Granted the kids were conceited and way too big for their boots but they still didn't deserve to be used as leverage against their father.

"This must have been where the body was burned." Bones said, taking on her analytical air.

"You think?"

From anyone else her Captain Obvious attitude would have been annoying but coming from Bones it was kind of adorable. It was like she went out of the way to explain everything so I didn't get left behind. It was a nice gesture even if she did considerably underestimate my intelligence from time to time.

She began cataloguing the damage on the bones all I got from a long explanation was that he had been it by a buckshot round out of a shotgun.

"But I thought Cal was strangled?" I asked. Maybe I had missed something here.

"He was," Bones clarified, "Strangled, shot and set on fire."

"Well someone wanted to make sure he didn't get home."

Huh, maybe I was a little bad with the captain obvious thing myself?

As I looked up and took in my surroundings, not really wanting to look at the charred remains any longer than I had to, I couldn't help but notice a family crest on the gate of yet another schmancy estate house that seemed very familiar.

"Hey Bones. Look at that family crest. Looks like that someone came from the King's country home."

Bones looked up at me and I knew she knew what I was thinking. It seems like the King's had the best motive we'd seen all investigation. Rich people hated it when the help ratted them out.

"Come on, Bones" I said and started toward the car.

* * *

As we drove over to the country house I could see her squirming in her seat as though she wanted to say something. I looked over a couple of times at her and caught her looking at me. She averted her eyes quickly which made me smile. Since when was Temperance Brennan shy?

"Come on Bones, spit it out." I said finally, inviting her to speak her mind.

She took a second

* * *

to collect her thoughts, which was an age when you considered how fast her mind ticked over.

"You know before when you said 'It's hard being a father'…" she began nervously.

"Yes…" I said, encouraging her to go on.

"You weren't just talking about you and Parker were you?"

So maybe she had caught on to what I was really talking about.

"No, Bones. I wasn't."

I heard her sigh softly from the passenger seat.

"I'm just saying that I understand why he did what he did. I don't agree with it but I understand. He was just trying to protect you the only what he could."

"I know," she said softly. Sounding more like a timid fifteen year old than the strong, confident and beautiful woman I knew and loved.

_Woah._ Wait what?

* * *

Okay, pretty pretty please with a cherry on top review this chapter and tell me what you think.

I hope to continue this fanfic to the end of the episode I'm basing it on but I would really like to make sure I have readers so I am motivated to keep writing : )


	3. All Middled Up

Wow, the weird and wonderful things that come out in subconscious thought. I mulled over my mind slip as we kept driving. It was another hour and a half to the King's ridiculous mansion that probably cost more than I would make in a lifetime. Scratch that... multiple lifetimes. Alone with my thoughts and with Bones quietly considering hers in the passenger seat I knew we were probably in for a long and very silent drive. I looked over at Bones who was looking out the window wistfully without actually seeing anything. She had been through so much in her life and now her dad was back, in very close proximity dragging up old feelings of abandonment. I understand Max's motivation to leaving her. It had been to protect her from worse things than the horrors she had experienced and god knows I couldn't imagine a world where Bones didn't exist, if she had been murdered as a bright eyed, innocent fifteen year old girl. I admired him I suppose. I don't know if I could ever have the strength to leave Bones even if I thought if it was for her own good. Besides if she was in danger I would never let her out of my sight, despite her protests about my alpha male tendencies.

Why was I so protective of her? I mean I was very protective of everyone in my life to certain extents but I reserved a selfless throw-myself-in-front-of-a-bullet protectiveness for two people alone; my son, Parker and Bones. Parker was understandable, I mean he was my son but Bones was my work partner. That is such a lie. We had never just been work partners. From our first case where we had flirted and butted heads simultaneously, to that night at the bar where things had nearly gone so very differently. It was another year until we would meet again and resume our combative relationship. Ever since then I had been breaking down her barriers and uncovering the caring, beautiful and warm woman she had buried long ago. She had been hurt so much and it was the way she coped with all the pain. I wish that I could have shielded all the pain. Erase it from her memory right here and right now but at the same time I didn't. Without the pain and suffering she wouldn't be the strong, independent and headstrong woman I had grown so close to over the years. The truth was I wouldn't want Bones any other way. She was perfect. Maybe to anyone that didn't know her well she was hopelessly flawed and incapable of basic human interaction but I knew the truth. After what had happened to her and the horrific violence we saw everyday she had closed herself off to the outside world not trusting in the humanity of others because it had been so terribly vacant from those who had wronged her in the past. I vowed from the first time I found out about her suffering that I would try every day to restore her believe in humanity, kindness and love.

There was that word again. _Love._ Do I love Temperance Brennan? I audibly scoffed to myself which momentarily raised Bones from her thoughts and I smiled as she met my eyes quizzically. After smiling back at me in the way made my heart skip a beat she returned to staring out the window. _Was it even a question?_ Of course I was in love with Bones. I had been for so long but not willing to admit it to save myself the pain of knowing that she would not return my sentiments. It wasn't that she couldn't or even because deep down she didn't love me cause I still had hope that maybe she did. It was because she wouldn't let herself love because it had only caused her pain. In her mind, if I was to express my feelings to her, despite the many years of being with her through thick and thin, she would only remember the few others that had told her the very same thing and then proceeded to tear her warm and beautiful heart to pieces. I resigned myself to wait, as long as it took for her to figure out that love was real and too good to pass up and for her to know with all her heart that I would never ever leave her. Little did I know that it wouldn't take nearly as long as I thought.

* * *

"Mr King we'd like to ask you a few questions about your nanny." I explained as he led us into what was probably one of the many living rooms in this ridiculous house.

"I really don't see how I can help you, Agent Booth. My wife deals with the staff."

I looked at Bones, slightly disgusted by his use of the term 'staff'. Is that what Cal Warren was to him? Even though he worked tirelessly to ensure his kids were safe and was now dead. She didn't turn to look at me but merely maintained her well practiced icy exterior.

Deciding to cut right to the chase to minimise the time I actually had to spend talking to Richard King I came right out with the questions we had come to ask.

"Do you own a 12 gauge shot gun?" I asked straight out, carefully watching his reaction to my question.

"Yeah," he replied nonchalantly, "Several. You are welcome to examine them."

Either he was innocent or a very good liar. Then again he is a successful business man. Doesn't that necessitate ample skills in deception?

Deciding to go with my gung-ho approach Bones spoke up.

"Two months ago, Cal gave an investor insider knowledge about your company."

Ever composed King answered with a faultless, "I didn't know that."

"And if you had known?" I asked.

"I suppose I would have tried to fire him." King answered.

"Tried?"

"Well I don't think Elisabeth would have allowed it."

Well, well it seems that even big shot business man is whipped by his woman.

"Why? Was she having an affair with him?" Bones asked in her usual no nonsense way. She really was taking a lead with this interrogation.

"Woah, Bones. Good one!" I said, encouraging her to keep going.

"You two need to learn focus." King cut in.

"Excuse me?" I asked slightly annoyed. Do I go around telling him how to make his millions selling toasters or whatever it was that his did. It was probably something of equal importance to the greater good of mankind.

"Focus" he repeated.

"Focus?" Man this guy annoyed me.

"Either accuse me of killing Cal because he betrayed business secrets or because he was sleeping with my wife and then once you've chosen, then contact my lawyers."

Scratch that… this guy really annoyed me.

"I'd go with the business motive," he suggested arrogantly. "I'm very happily married."

Bones looked at me with her knowing eye roll and we both knew we weren't getting any more out of him.

"Well, thanks for your time Mr King," I said without an ounce of real gratitude. "I'm sure we will speak again."

With that Bones and I both left.

* * *

"Okay that guy is one cool customer" I said as I shut the door behind me.

"Ooh… cool. Like a murder?" Bones asked while doing a cute subconscious stabbing motion with her hand. Ah, always with the dramatics, Bones.

"No," I answered though I wasn't sure. "I dunno okay? I just don't see him losing his temper and taking out some Special Forces vet, that's all."

To be honest, the guy look liked a total pansy that had probably never seen much outside his cushy house, his office and the local country club.

Startled I saw yet another member of the "staff" as King would call them leading a dog roughly the size of my car through the courtyard.

"All right," I said to Bones, "do you think that thing comes with a saddle?"

I heard her chuckle. Huh, she must have got that one. Then again I didn't really notice much outside of the beautiful red Ferrari parked in the driveway. Okay, I really _really_ hated this guy.

Suddenly I was struck with an idea.

"Follow me Bones, would you for a second?" I said distractedly as I walked toward the beautiful specimen of automotive genius.

"What's going on?" Bones asked as I leaned down into the car to pop the fuel tank cap. "What are you doing?"

She all of a sudden looked very shocked. "Are you going to urinate in the gas tank as an act of vandalism?"

"Are you kidding me, Bones? I would never do something like that to this fine Italian automobile."

Even if the owner deserved it, I though as I removed my tie and fed it into the fuel tank.

"It's a beautiful car, Bones." I explained to her though she probably didn't care. "Just remember the Italians make the best automobiles."

Automobiles ridiculously out of my price range though not out of hers. I remembered back to the Mercedes she had driven without any real thought to its luxury. To Bones, a car is just a car.

"Ah there it is." I said as I felt my tie hit what I was searching for. I then withdrew the sodden tie and put the fuel cap back on."

"Okay Bones, give me one of you little baggies." Now my tie was evidence and she would probably strangle me with it if I didn't follow contamination protocol.

"I didn't bring evidence bags." She replied shrugging her shoulders.

"Thanks Bones, I appreciate it. You come prepared." I joked with her as we walked back to my car.

"Well we're not at a crime scene. Why would I have evidence bags?" She defended.

"You always have evidence bags on you."

Well she usually did.

* * *

As we got back into the SUV, I was still carrying my fuel sodden and now completely ruined tie.

"Ah the things I do for the job Bones." I joked as I folded the tie and reached around to put it on the back seat where I couldn't smell it. As I returned to face forwards I passed so close to Bones that her smell intoxicated me and for a moment I couldn't think straight. She had never had such a strong effect on me before so why now? Maybe it was because she was looking down to fasten her seatbelt which meant her face was mere inches from mine as I had turned around of maybe because I had just come to the conclusion that I was in love with the beautiful scientist riding shotgun. Figuring it was definitely both reasons among a few others I settled myself and started the engine. Bones immediately started analysing Richard Kings responses since we were now out of earshot.

"So do you think he is as happily married as he says he is or are we going with the business motive?" She asked with a vigour she had never shown for conjecture at the start of our partnership. As I thought about how much of a corrupting influence I had been on her logic and empiricism I felt a light punch on my arm as Bones struck me in mock outrage.

"Are you silently laughing at me? Did I middle up one of the cop sayings." She said with a stern voice that didn't quite come across as forceful as she probably wanted it to. Her slip of the tongue made my grin progress to an audible laugh and she playfully punched me again.

"You were fine the first time around but you definitely _muddled_ up the second one." I chucked as she looked down and pink flushed her cheeks.

"Then what was so funny then?" she mumbled.

"I was just thinking about how much I have corrupted you. Four years ago, if any sort of conjecture or talk of motives came up you would brush it off saying that it was unimportant and didn't matter. Now you're the one hypothesizing!" As I chuckled I saw a small smile appear as she thought about just how right I was.

"What can I say, Booth? You've pulled me over to the dark side!" She said with a cheerful tone.

"Hey! A Star Wars reference, I'm impressed Bones! Have you been spending too much time with Sweets?" I had to say I was quite impressed with her knowledge of the Force even if I had no idea where she had picked it up.

"Well actually I looked it up after you were teasing Dr Sweets about it because I had no idea to what you were referring and somehow ended up watching two of the movies on my laptop. They do have a certain type of appeal even if the idea of the Force is quite preposterous." I smiled as Bones slipped back into her scientist mode again.

"Don't let Sweets here you say that. You just might break his heart. It would be like telling a kid there is no Santa."

_Wait. Santa. Christmas. Mistletoe..._ The last time I had kissed Bones. We had both blown it off but the truth was it had been amazing. I had never been left truly weak kneed after a kiss no matter how fantastic but when Bones had laid one on me I felt as though she had simultaneously removed every bone from my body. Just the thought of it made my head spin a little. As well as making me want to do it all over again.

Desperate to get my mind of that dangerous road I diverted the conversation back to the question she had asked.

"So I dunno if he is as happily married as he says he is. Sad truth is that most aren't nearly as happily married as they say they are when I interrogate them. Sad but true, Bones."

"Which is exactly why I don't believe in the institution." Bones said with a firm tone.

I rolled my eyes at her.

"Oh come on, Bones. You can't take the wacked out marriages that crop up during our murder investigations as an indication of the real deal or how it could be for you." I said nearly saying "us" instead of "you".

"Everything I have seen of marriage does not speak favourably for it. What make you think that it would be any different for me? She asked, her tone tinged with a sadness that made my heart ache.

"Because having a husband means having a good man who will protect you and be you best friend through everything; someone who will always be there for you."

She turned to smile at me, lightness in her beautiful blue eyes.

"But I already have a good man who protects me and who it always there for me." She said pointedly.

I was momentarily stunned that she had made that leap. That she had slotted me in among the words husband and good man. I was flattered.

"You sure do Bones, and he isn't going anywhere."

I pulled up at the curb of the diner to drop Bones off for her lunch date with her dad. I hadn't wanted to intrude on what would probably be a very personal family moment so I had made an appointment with the Forensic Accounting guys to find out more about Richard Kings company activities. As I looked into the window I realised that I need not have worried. There was Sweets sitting across from Max. They both waved at us as we pulled up. Bones quickly gathered her things and opened the door.

"Thanks for dropping me off Booth. I'll see you later?"

"Yep, I'll probably be over at the lab later today." I replied and Bones jumped out of the passenger seat.

"Hey Bones," I called just before she shut the door. "Be kind to your old man."

She gave me a nod and a knowing smile as she shut the door.

* * *

I was back in my office after having spoken to the accounting guys with nothing to really show for my day of interrogating and research. Even though Richard King's company had taken a dive it had begun recovering fairly quickly and Cal's leaking of company secrets probably hadn't angered Richard enough to kill him. Besides if Mrs King had found out that he had killed the kids Nanny who was better equipped to protect her spoiled offspring than any other she probably would have killed him. Of course that all changed when Cam called with new information.

"Hey Booth, I think you are going to want to get yourself a warrant to arrest Richard King." Cam said sounding a little like that cat that ate the canary.

"Best news I've had all day Cam," I said, glad the investigation finally seemed to be going in a solid direction. "What's the new evidence?" I asked.

"The chemical profile for the fuel you delivered to us via tie is a perfect match for that used to incinerate Cal Warren's remains."

"Great. I'll have him in custody complete with his top notch lawyers by the time the day is out. Thanks Cam."

"Well you should thank Hodgins too when you see him next. Oh and Booth..."

"Mmmm..."

"You should really be more careful with your OJ."

* * *

Okay I am very sorry that it has been so long. I am actually gunna finish this in the next few days. It will only be short but it will possibly have a sequel seeing as the next episode after the Bone that Blew is Double Trouble in the Panhandle and I don't know if I can resist rewriting that to suit my own little twist of events. Circus, knife throwing and bed sharing. Nope I probably won't be able to resist.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter; the next one is coming soon.


	4. Nasty Consequences

On my way to get the warrant Cam had suggested I got a call from Bones.

"Hey, Bones. Missed me already?" I joked and could just see the eye roll she was doing at that exact moment.

"I just wanted to call and tell you to get the title on the warrant changed. It was Mrs King. The victim was dragged by a choker chain around his neck by someone no taller than 5"5'. That was what fractured the hyoid. It couldn't have been Richard King." I didn't even question how she had come to that conclusion. She handled the lab stuff and I did interrogations. Neither of us questioned the others methods.

"Woah, poor Cal. Shot, strangled and torched. Tough break"

"Yeah." She agreed.

* * *

Two hours later I was in Interrogation 1 with Mrs Elizabeth King herself, of course with Sweets in the adjacent room psychoanalysing everything.

"So you're sure you don't want you're attorney present, Mrs King?" I asked unsure about her intentions. My interrogations of rich people had always included over groomed lawyers wearing overpriced suits and even more overpriced Italian shoes.

"Let's just get this over with." She relied curtly.

"Okay sounds good to me." Hell yeah it did, before she changed her mind.

"Here's what I'm thinking. I'm thinking that you're country home is less than a mile from the spot where Cal Warren's was burned. You had access to a shotgun, the aviation gas…"

As I laid it all out on the table she remained as stoic as her husband had.

"You know how many people work for us, Agent Booth?" She asked seeming quite comfortable. "Every single one of them had access."

"Yeah but I don't think any of them would have cared if the found out that Cal Warren was trying to destroy your husband's company."

She wouldn't throw me off that easy. As she took in my words she simply looked down and said nothing. Realising I had hit a nerve I persevered.

"You have a nice life. I'm sure you got really angry when you found out that it was all going away." I spoke in a low voice which I hoped would elicit some form of response I could use against her.

She simply chuckled and sighed.

"You don't understand," she said simply. "It wasn't about the money. I had to protect my family."

Wow, that was an easy confession. I was on a roll today.

* * *

"What do you think?" I asked Sweets as I entered the viewing room.

"In my professional opinion, she didn't whack him." He said sound very sure of himself. It was not what I wanted to hear.

"What?" I protested. "Come on, Cal betrayed them. Come on, Sweets. For once you were right. Embrace the win my friend."

"I'm sorry but it's kinesics 101." He really wasn't letting this one go. "You pushed all the right buttons but instead of her ego defence system triggering a stress response state she went straight to a tacit confession."

I really get what Bones is talking about with all that psycho-babble nonsense.

"Right," I said, "Which means…. she did it."

Psychologist prodigy might think different but usually a confession equals quilt.

"No, that means she didn't do it," He pressed on. "But she wants you to believe that she did."

"Why would she wanna do that?" I asked, confused as to where Sweets was going with this.

"Cause she's covering for someone."

Some of the conclusions Sweets drew seemed far off but I knew better than to doubt him.

"The only honest thing she said was that she had to protect her family." Sweets concluded.

"So we're back to square one?" I asked already knowing the answer.

"Sort of." Sweets said, trying to break the failure to me gently I suppose.

I turned to leave but couldn't help but double back to ask Sweets something that had been bothering me for days.

"Sweets. Let me ask you something." I began awkwardly. "I mean you're a smart guy. You went to private school right?"

"Yeah. Perfect attendance through sixth grade might I add." He smiled goofily.

"That's great… You don't think that I'm a lousy dad for not sending my son to private school."

"No," he answered shaking his head, looking very sure of his answer. "But you would be a lousy father if you didn't torture yourself about it."

I smiled at him amazed that he always knew just the right thing to say despite his youth. Maybe I was a little hard on him. If only he knew how to deal with my Bones situation. Like I'd ever talk to him about that.

Right on cue I heard my phone ring and dug it out to see Bones' name displayed on the screen. Speak of the devil.

"Hold on," I said to Sweets as I answered with my usual "Booth" even though I knew it was Bones.

Launching straight into her spiel as I answered the phone I let her proceed uninterrupted.

"I reviewed the placement of the shot gun pellet wounds. The trajectory indicates that whoever shot Cal was significantly shorter than Mrs King. I don't think she did it."

Between what Sweets had said about Mrs King and what Bones was saying about the evidence it all became clear. She was covering for someone and I knew exactly who it was.

"Right. Thanks." I said absently as I shut the phone.

Glancing back at Mrs King I understood her motivations but that didn't make it right.

* * *

Bones had decided she wanted in on the final interrogation which saw the two of us sitting across from the spoiled Alexa and her parents.

"You see we got a court order for your cell phone and your laptop." I explained to Alexa as she sat the complacently.

"You know nothing you right or text or IM is really private." Bones elaborated.

"I knew that" Alexa said with an eye roll. I wanted to chastise her on the spot and tell her to show more respect for Bones. She was ten times the woman Alexa could ever hope to grow into.

"Really?" I said in a sarcastic tone that I couldn't really hide. "Because, you know, we checked all your text messages and we found one from a couple of weeks ago that's a little weird."

As I turned to display the message on the screen I saw Alexa purse her lips with exasperation as though she was about to be found out for breaking a vase, not for murdering a man. How could a girls grip on reality be so skewed?

"This one is from the night the Cal was killed." Bones explained, pointing to the screen from which she read aloud. "Bring it over now. Parents both gone…"

"Stop this Richard," Mrs King interjected. Obviously she didn't want her precious princess being accused of such awful things.

"No," he replied, "I wanna hear it."

Maybe he had grown some balls and a little bit of common decency in the time since we had spoken to him.

"It turns out that Alexa here had a project on…Ancient Greece?" I looked at Bones requesting her to continue. This was her stuff.

"You spent three days complaining about it," Bones said to the girl, "Why didn't you just do it."

"I didn't want to." Alexa answered as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. Spoken like a true spoiled brat. "It was stupid."

"Stupid," I questioned, "Huh, what about this one?" I asked as I displayed the second text message.

"The manny will do it. He can't say no, he works for me." I read aloud. "But Cal really did say no didn't he, because you paid 100 bucks to somebody else to do it for you; somebody by the name of Dakota Sheercroft."

That earned another eye roll.

"Oh my god," Mr King murmured as he realised what had happened.

"Yeah I think it's a stupid name too." I said, joking to hopefully make him feel even stupider.

"So what happened?" Bones took over, turning to Alexa. " Did Cal catch you?"

"He threatened to tell the school." She said as if it excused anything.

"Why wouldn't he have just told us?" Mr King asked, probably considering all the ways he was a failure at this point.

"Cal said you wouldn't do anything." She spat at her father really ramming home all those failures. "You never do. He said I had to learn a lesson."

"What kind of lesson?" I asked.

"They would have kicked me out of school!" Her smug demeanour breaking for the first time. "Zero tolerance."

I looked at Bones who raised her eyebrows at me in disbelief.

"My friends are at that school!" She really had this spoiled princess thing down pat. "I got the gun out of the garage and I shot him. Mom came home and saw."

"I drove the body to the country house took it into the woods and burned it. She's my daughter. I had to protect her." Mrs King finished.

Bones shot me another disbelieving look.

"No you did what you always do," Mr King piped up. "You make everything bad go away."

Well Elizabeth, this one ain't going away, I thought to myself.

"It's counter productive to raise children in a world without consequences." Bones said.

For someone who insisted she didn't want kids she certainly had the right idea on how to raise them. I still maintained that she would make a great mom.

"Well it looks like little Alexa here is going to have to come face to face with some pretty nasty consequences." I said as Alexa simply glared at me, daring me to try to punish her. For the first time in her life I supposed, I would follow through and she couldn't shoot me first to prevent it from happening.

* * *

Okay this was a bit of filler episode with my own Booth commentary. I had included all the Booth scenes up to now so I didn't wanna break pattern. The big climax chapter is next and it will probably be the last one. Maybe there will be an epilogue. We'll see.

As always, pretty please review so I know who is still reading and if you like it.


	5. Sensory Overload

Okay this is the chapter where things start to deviate from the episode, in a good way I promise!

* * *

After I had formally made the arrests, pressed charges and Bones had helped me fill out the appropriate paper work I went back to the Jeffersonisan to help her with her paperwork regarding the case. It was only fair. As I drove us over she was obviously still in a state of shock that innocent looking little Alexa could do something so terrible for so trivial a reason and not feel remorse.

"I couldn't imagine killing someone just because I didn't get my own way about one tiny little thing. I couldn't imagine anyone doing it before today." She said to me as much to herself.

"The unfortunate thing about this job is that you learn that people will do just about anything." I said, thinking that it really was sad that these sorts of things didn't really surprise me any more.

"And to raise a child without any form of discipline or order." She went on, her tone taking on a more ranting quality. "I would never let my child get away with things, much less murder."

My eyebrows shot up as I turned to look at her. Realising her slip of the tongue she quickly tried to correct herself.

"You know if I was ever going to have kids… which I'm not." Bones was stammering as if it was the most inexcusable thing to speak aloud of perhaps wanting a child even though she had always said she wouldn't. But I suppose this case wasn't really speaking in favour of procreation.

"Ah see Bones," I said cheerfully, "You're warming to the idea."

Intended and delivered as a joke to lighten the mood I couldn't help but think if she could change her mind about children, could she change her mind about love?

My joke seemed to hit the mark with Bones and she gave up on her tirade and we passed the rest of the drive to the Jeffersonian in content silence while I contemplated how the game may have just changed a little in my favour.

* * *

As we entered the giant room containing the abandoned polished platform with Bones office off to one side Parker came running up to us from nowhere and collided with my stomach. He gripped my middle since it was all he could really reached and I leaned down and hugged him back.

"Hey buddy, what are you still doing here? I thought you're Mom was coming to pick you up an hour ago?" I asked, hoping Rebecca knew so I wouldn't have to face her rage when she finally found Parker.

"It's fine Dad. Max called her and asked if it was okay if I stayed behind to learn a few extra things. Just him and me." Parker sounded so excited and I think I knew who was responsible.

"That's great, Parker. You better not keep Max waiting then." I said and Parker went bounding off to continue his scientific endeavours with more enthusiasm than Bones ever showed.

Slowly I turned to face Bones who had a wistful smile on her face.

"So wonder how Max found out that Parker was eager for a little after school learning?" I asked in a mocking clueless tone.

Bones giggled and smiled one of her dazzling, all teeth, no restraint smiles that nearly knocked the wind out of me.

"I may or may not have spoken to my Dad about your enrichment theory." She said with an innocent shrug and a devilish grin.

"Thank you, Bones." I said with as much sincerity as I could pour into three little words. Okay maybe I could manage a little more with another set of three little words that could change things forever.

"You're welcome."

We stood for a little while watching Parker with Max over in the far corner, our view obscured by the various polished equipment but there was no missing Parkers smile from the other side of the room.

"Come on, Booth. We better get my paperwork finished."

* * *

I went up to the suspended platform to make coffee while Bones went to get her stuff from her office. We always seemed to work together on stuff on the platform. Maybe it was because there was more room to spread out all the files, maybe because it was just a really nice view from up here. Not that I was really looking over the railings. My vision was filled only with Bones as she sat stack of files into the table and went over to the railing to watch Max and Parker again. I finished making the coffee just how I knew she liked it and brought it over to her.

"So, Mom copped to conspiracy to avoid trail." I began trying to get back to work so we could get it finished. "She'll spend some time in prison."

"How much?" Bones asked, taking her yellow Jeffersonian mug of coffee.

"Ah enough," I said, not really sure. "In my opinion she ruined that little girl's life."

"What about the little girl?" Bones asked with a sigh.

"Removed from the family, institutionalised for a couple of years.

Bones scoffed and looked out over the railing.

"Then it's back to ponies and tennis lessons?"

I could only nod.

"Caroline should charge her as adult." Bones stated firmly.

"She's 11 years old, Bones." Sometimes Bones really didn't get the legal system. Then again sometimes, neither did I.

"Yeah well she's old enough to speak Chinese"

"Well they don't really take that into account. When that little girl killed Cal Warren she killed the best father had."

"Well sometimes it's hard to appreciate what you've got." Bones spoke in an off handed tone but something about her words rammed home.

"I appreciate what I have, Bones. So much…" I said staring at her.

She was still looking at Parker so she naturally concluded that I was talking about him.

"You have a wonderful son, Booth and you are a fantastic father. You should never forget that."

"That's not all I'm grateful for Bones." I said and I waited for her to look at me so she could grasp the true meaning of my words. It was now or never. I was taking a gamble for the one thing I really couldn't afford to lose.

Bones' bright blue eyes met mine and for all of her self depreciation about reading body language she immediately grasped the turn in the conversation.

"I'm grateful too Booth. I have a father again," she gestured down at her dad. "I have a partner who is always there for me and who I trust with my life completely every day."

But would she trust me with her heart?

"I'm so grateful and most of all I'm grateful to you for making me realise just how great what I have is."

She smiled at me and there was something different about this one. An affection the reached beyond the realms of partners. We stared at each other for a long time before our attention was drawn downwards toward Max and Parker again.

"You sure he's gunna be alright." I gestured toward Parker, a little worried about what crazy science experiment max had in store for him. "I mean, what the hell are they doing anyway?"

All I could see was a bottle of cola and small white balls on a big metal tray.

"Disrupting the surface tension of a 2 litre cola." Bones said as if is explained everything. It really didn't.

I watched Max with my son. He really was fantastic with kids. Parker had never been so excited about learning.

"Don't fire Max," I said to Bones. "Let him keep his job. You know, he's a teacher not a janitor."

"I can't overlook the sanctity of the forensic lab, Booth."

Always with the empiricism, Bones.

"Maybe you could overlook it for me?" I resorted to the one approach I knew she couldn't say no to.

"For you?" she asked, confused but not unwilling.

"Yeah, personal favour."

"What like a partner thing?" she asked.

"Yeah, a partner thing."

Suddenly a knowing grin spread across her face and she let out a soft chuckle.

"I know you, Booth. You're trying to do me a favour by telling me it's a favour for you."

"I'd do anything for you." I said softly and honestly.

She turned to look at me with an expression of mixed shock and awe. The awkward moment was thankfully interrupted when the bottle of cola exploded sending a tower of soft drink into the air.

"Whoa!" I said as the explosion caught me completely off guard. Bones just laughed.

As I looked down I saw Parker beaming with excitement.

"Daddy, Daddy! Look what I did! I blew it up!" Parker shouted from below.

"Yeah, I saw little man." I smiled down at him. It was nice to see him so happy.

Max stepped forward and ruffled Parker's hair. As I watched, I thought about how close they seemed to be. Almost like family. But then again the sort of were. Bones was as much my family as Parker was just by friendship rather than blood. By extension, Max was part of that family too.

I looked over to see Bones smiling down at the two of them.

"Look at my dad." She said softly and affectionately.

After a moment's consideration I grabbed my coffee mug and moved along the railing closer to her.

"Look at my little boy there with your dad." I said softly in her ear.

Bones looked between me and her father and laughed softly to herself.

"Okay," Bones sighed. "Yes, alright. He can keep his job."

"Thanks, Bones." I said as I nudged her shoulder.

She turned to me with a serious look on her face and moved impossibly closer.

"You should know by now…" she whispered repeating my words, "I'd do anything for you."

As I scanned her face I too moved closer until our bodies were less than an inch apart. I had made my intentions clear and now I was waiting for her response. Slowly the alarm in her face was replaced by a soft smile and it wasn't until she nodded that I closed the distance between our lips and our bodies. My elbow knocked something but it barely registered because all of my senses were overloaded. Kissing Bones this time was so much better than it had been at Christmas and I had thought that that was impossible. This time the kiss was filled with promise and hope for the future. It was a kiss that sealed the unspoken oath that we wouldn't ever give up on each other. We would work through everything because I honestly couldn't live with out her. All my thoughts then gave way and I was simply kissing Temperance and I never wanted to stop.

* * *

Okay there is an epilogue after all, we need to know Max and Parker's reaction since they are in the same room. I don't think there will be a sequel because it seams so nicely wrapped up but I will be writing another Bones fanfic as soon as the inspiration strikes. I hope you enjoyed it and I'm sorry it took so long. Stay posted for the epilogue and don't forget to review. I promise to reply to everyone!


	6. Epilogue: Fairytales

The epilogue as promised… It's short and sweet but I hope you like it. Just so you know this is no longer in Booth's POV as he is somewhat occupied : )

* * *

Max and Parker were both startled as they heard a loud smashing sound. As Parker looked toward the broken remnants of the coffee mug surrounded by a spattering of coffee, Max skipped straight to the source looking up to see his daughter kissing the one man who would ever deserve her.

_Finally._ Max thought to himself as he felt the widest smile spread across his face.

"Aw, gross!" Parker said loudly though it didn't break Temperance and Booth from their embrace.

Max chuckled to himself and looked down at the boy looking up at his father with a mixture of emotions on his face.

"That's not gross, Parker." Max said. "That's just love."

Parker looked up and smiled at him, a knowing grin that seemed incongruous with his actual age.

"Come on Parker, let's get you cleaned up before you're mum get's here." He said leading Parker away.

_And give Tempe and your Dad some time alone,_ Max thought to himself.

As they walked toward the shower Parker asked Max, "Does Daddy love Dr Bones?"

"You know what Parker, I think that they are just figuring that out." Max answered trying to think of how to tell Parker in a way he'd understand.

"Hey Parker, have you read fairytales?" Max asked and Parker shrugged. "Have you heard of true love's first kiss?"

Parker's eyes lit up.

"I sure have. Daddy and I watched Shrek and it was all about finding true love's first kiss." Parker answered matter-of-factly. "Is that what just happened with Daddy and Bones?"

Max laughed to himself as he put an arm around Parker and settled it on his shoulder.

"It sure did Parker," Max laughed, "It sure did."

* * *

Okay I dunno if I did the right thing with the Shrek reference but lets remember Parker is a child but then again they seem to have a wonderfully simplistic yet magic view of the world. I hope you enjoyed it and I thank you for sticking with me even after the long break. It's also worth mentioning this is my first finished fic as short as it may be. Woot go me : p

Please review. Reviews are food for the soul and maybe for another Bones fanfic : )


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